The "$50 Robot" Tutorial with the Roboduino

This $50 Robot tutorial has been modified for users of the Roboduino microcontroller board.

Before beginning the $50 Robot Tutorial we have to understand that this robot will not actually cost $50. It will be slightly over $50 after taking into account shipping.

This tutorial assumes that you have the Roboduino microcontroller board. The Roboduino uses the same main microcontroller as the original $50 Robot Board. The $50 Robot Board in the original $50 Robot tutorial would have to be made by the user and requires complex soldering and without any modification ,does not take advantage of the full capabilities of the microcontroller. The Roboduino takes advantage of all the capabilities and is pin compatible with the $50 Robot Board.

The Roboduino is more expensive than the $50 Robot Board, but the Roboduino is easier to put together, requires the only basic soldering skills, and possesses much more functions than the $50 Robot Board.

I would suggest beginners to follow the original $50 Robot Tutorial if they want a crash course on robotics , but if they want to jump right into robotics without any difficult soldering then they should definitely get the Roboduino. In addition the Roboduino is a great investment since it will be used for years to come and on many different robotics/electronics projects.

The $50 Robot Tutorial is divided into sections . By each section I will include a link to the original $50 Robot Tutorial Section and they write any notes on modifications that should be done for use with the Roboduino.

Step 1 - Basics
In this part, we will talk about the motivation behind building such a robot,
what you will learn in this tutorial series, what the robot will be able to do,
and the parts required to be purchased.

Step 2 - Mechanics
In step two, we will build the chassis of your robot. This part can mostly
be done with parts around your house, and has room for creativity
on your part. There are many ways to do this, I offer only one of them.

Step 3 - Electronics
The electronics steps are perhaps one of the simplest parts of the $50 Robot Tutorial. While the original $50 Robot Tutorial requires you to make your own microcontroller board from scratch, this $50 Robot Tutorial for the Roboduino does merely requires you to assemble the Roboduino and plug in the battery.

Step 4 - Programming
Now that you have done the hard part, sit back and relax as programming will be simple.
Better yet, this step is 100% free! Download the software, plug in your robot,
upload the code to the robot controller, and away it goes!